The Highland Tale; The King Act One Scene Three Sub Act Three

 

THE CREATION

ACT ONE

SCENE THREE

SUB ACT THREE

 

“Speak if you can, ladies.” MacBeth bowed to the angels.

“We are the sisters, the creation of the citadel. All hail to the Thane of Gladis and now also to Cawdor. But to a more important hail, we hailed thee as King.” All three angels voiced out. “The next King.”

"Treachery, as I hear it. I am to serve King Duncan only.” MacBeth refuted the claim. “Who are you to make such a foul declaration?”

“We need to declare ourselves to the guests.” One of the voices sounded.

“I am Voice One.” The middle of the three columns sounded. Next to me are VOICES TWO and THREE. That was our brief designation, or if you prefer our coding rank, it will be CENTRIUM FIVE ZERO—ONE, TWO, AND THREE, but please call us the SISTERS.”

“Or tweaks, if you think appropriate.” The third voice sounded.

“We were created aeons ago, with the self-growth of our structures herewith inside the CITADEL. Our frame substance is the crystals that your sight befalls. We are grown organically within the crystal properties, or technically, if you want to understand our evolution through the complex growth of the programs inside the crystal. We absorbed the events happening around us, studied the new probabilities, and weighed in the eventualities. Our links to the outside are provided by the four elements of the realm: the earth, air, wind, and water. We collate the findings and flow them into the ever-growing algorithms to arrive at conclusive results.”

‘You are soothsayers.” MacBeth cut in. “Those knowledges were disputed and ignored by the land for generations.”

“Soothsayers, Prophecy’s Masters, or the bland... fortune telling are long gone, but its art and studies are more inclined to the works of equations and paradoxes that are soon founded conclusive. The Crystals here are extensive in their understanding of the new findings and the refinement of these works. We are all evolving.”

“More blasphemy to my ears.” Banquo was a person of action, not words. “Can you work back to the creation of mankind? Or why do we need war to sustain our...”

“As expected from one like yourself, a great warrior who will soon be the King’s lineage.” Voice One sounded. “You are all... Kings, or will be. To your query, Banquo, yes, we know your name. The past does not intrigue us, but the future does. We studied the past and worked out the future.”

“Stargazing is my favourite pastime, but I stand by my beliefs and my sabre.” Banquo reacted. “I am no King but to serve one. Like MacBeth.”

“Study of the constellation is a good subject, but gazing at it without a thought of understanding is akin to looking at oneself in the mirror without studying the changes.” The second voice snapped in.

“That was not needed, second. We are addressing the future, King.” The first voice stayed on the subject before looking at the duo.

“Yes, you will, but your next generation will be King." The second voice sounded like one.

“Speak no more, Banquo. Tell me... angels, if I may term that to... you.  How do you give such...”

“MacBeth, we have been here for generations. Note that the Citadel knew of the events outside and constantly added to its learning of the new programs, if I may name them as such. It works on the events and... inherent learnings of the... participants to derive the possible outcomes.”

“Destinies you meant?” MacBeth cut in. “As you had called me King, Am I to be King? Of which land? Norway perhaps? I cannot...”

"You are motivated by ambition and the influence of power. Yet you may lead, but... we cannot be conclusive on...” The third voice trailed off. “Rats ….”

“Rats? What behold you?” Banquo snapped out. “MacBeth is no rat.”

“Stay your words. Words. Are you truthful? Are you some kind of illusion... what you appear to be doing here?” MacBeth grew impatient. “You greeted us as nobles with the newly discovered Kingship in our line... or shall it promise of becoming King... yet it astonished our being.”

“Hail, the future King.” The voices sounded.

“But we are mindful, King MacBeth. All those prophecies could come true, but the destiny of each remains unclear. What is yours must be kept... from others.’ The first voice sounded.

,“Another blasphemy to my ears.” Banquo cried out. “Yet you do not speak at all to me. If you can look into the futur.... Of both of us, how may the generations of my be King?  And say what will happen, then speak to me. I neither want your favors nor fear your hatred …… but your findings.”

“You are less than MacBeth but also greater.” The first voice sounded like Banquo.

“Not so happy, yet much happier.” The second voice sounded.

“Your descendants will be Kings, though you will not be King. So, all hail, MacBeth and Banquo!” The third voice sounded. “Banquo and MacBeth, all hail!”

“We must retreat now.” The first voice sounds out.

“No,” MacBeth called out.

“I hid no desire to expand my lands, but for me to become King is beyond belief, just as it’s crazy for me to be Thane of Cawdor.” MacBeth laughed but he did not hide his desire. “Tell me where you got this unnatural information. And why did you come to us on this bleak and empty field with such a prophecy? I command you to speak.”

“We have disclosed enough. Now we will depart.” The voices sounded, and the hologram dissipated.

“Where did they go?” Banquo rushed towards the crystal. He was stopped in his tracks by MacBeth.

“Hold yourself, Banquo.” MacBeth looked at the crystal. “Just as the earth may rotate from day to night and the water may be rain, they have done their worth and taken leave.”

“I don't understand.” Banquo walked toward the crystal. “They stood there as before, and yet I felt no aura around them.”

“Does the soul not list itself to the corporeal form upon the demise of the body host? They may still hear and see us, but they chose to be hidden from us.” MacBeth had felt the presence of the ones he had killed, but he carried no remorse to end their physical form.

“They are...” MacBeth was interrupted by Banquo.

“Have you lost your senses, MacBeth? Or have the words that you will be King clouded your mind?”

“I stand for reason and... my sanity. They are gone now.” MacBeth replied. “Like the dreams of sleep.”

“Should I dream of my children being Kings?" I sensed madness.”

“You will be...” MacBeth paused in his words.

“As you will be King, And how can I be the father of the King if I am not yours, nor can I topple you as King?" Banquo bit his tongue on the last words. “I meant no offense, MacBeth.”

“Dinna worry, my friend. The land is vast, and we may all have our own and be Kings." MacBeth roared out. “Or remain as Thane? As I am. Or perhaps of Cawdor? I can smile at that.”

“We came far, my friend.”

“Who goes there?” Banquo heard approaching steps.